One of the more common conditions treated by podiatric surgeons is the painful bunion. Patients with this condition will usually complain of pain when wearing certain shoes, especially snug fitting dress shoes, or with physical activity, such as walking or running.

Hammertoes are a contracture of the toes as a result of a muscle imbalance between the tendons on the top and the tendons on the bottom of the toe. They can be flexible or rigid in nature.

The extensor tendons to the foot come from the relatively small muscles in the front of the leg. The two main extensor muscles are the;Extensor Hallucis Longus muscle;(EHL) and the;Extensor Digitrorum Longus muscle;(EDL).

Gout is caused by abnormal metabolism of substances called purines that result in the accumulation of uric acid in the blood stream. Purines are a by-product of cell break down.

When excessive stress is placed upon the ball of the foot, a hairline break (fracture) of a long metatarsal bone may occur. This occurs most frequently to the second, third, or fourth metatarsal but can occur in any bone.

Sesamoid bones are commonly found in and around joints. While sesamoid bones can be found around any joint in the foot, they are consistently found within the joint of the great toe.